Praying out loud

A pastor's wife at a previous church requested this be done at a women's prayer time and it was very distracting to me!

 

Almost evey church around here does that. I thought it was a mountain thing. When we lived in South Carolina and Georgia it was very unusual to have communal prayer but here in the NC mountains everyone seems to do it.

 

Jay, it seems the concept here is to just ask people to pray rather than asking someone to "lead" in prayer. If the church is satisfied with this practice, Squire's suggestion would provide a practical solution. Certainly God has no problem hearing all at once. Some believe that Acts 4:24–30, et al., provide a Biblical example for the practice.

It would be interesting to know the historical background of your church and the others of your area that adopt the practice. I believe that this practice, which I have heard referred to as "concert prayer", is rooted in revivalism and the Great Awakenings. Probably churches with the strongest influence from the Separate Baptists (Shubael Stearn, Daniel Marshall, Sandy Creek Assn, etc.) are most likely to retain the practice. Besides in Appalachia, I have found the practice in parts of Tennessee and Kentucky, Southwest Missouri, in north Alabama and north Georgia, especially in "non-cooperative" churches - churches not affiliated with any kind of national body of Baptists. I think westward expansion and movement away from one's "roots" tended to "weed out" this practice. I've seldom seen it in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana or Oklahoma, even in churches that have retained what might be thought of as other Separate Baptist "peculiarities" - extemporaneous preaching, feet washing, unsalaried ministry, etc, etc..

Some people associate this practice with pentecostalism. But if history is searched, it can be seen that many of the early holiness/pentecostal groups came out of Baptist churches and associations (especially on the east coast) and would have already been practicing "concert prayer" as Baptists.

 

My two cents:

In my humble opinion I don't so much mind as long as it is not a competition of a sort. At the church I attend when someone prays outloud while others are praying it is usually at a whisper. I've been in churches that people try their best to pray louder than the person beside them and so on. I just have tried to stay away from extremes in alot of things. I don't think it is appropriate to hush someone that is quietly praying with others. However, I don't think it should be a "concert" to be heard either. When having group prayer I find it acceptable to quietly pray at the same time.

In Christ,

Brooks

 

I like to quieter approach but as long as it meets Pauls's teaching to be decent and orderleyl, why not outloud...certainly loud confusion doesn't...maybe this is best done in small group or home based fellowship rather than on Sunday morning

 

I have led some boys at a youth camp in this manner for one reason. Some would not pray at loud, because of fear of everyone else listening. So, when they all pray out loud then no one is heard more than the other.

When I did this, GOD walked in that room for about 10 mins, and we had church in a dorm room. (I love it when the BIG Preacher Shows up)

Several of the young men told me later that it really helped them.

 

From time to time, on Sunday mornings, I ask people who need to be prayed for to stand to their feet or raise their hand if they can't stand. I then ask the remainder of the members present to go to those individuals and pray aloud for them. This is always a very moving time in our church family. God manifests His presence each time as a spirit of worship settles over us. It is never distracting or confusing. I like it.

 

One other thing...I would rather hear this type of praying that to hear one old "mossy-back" deacon publicly pray the same prayer he has prayed for 30 years...a prayer that most likely stops at the ceiling.

 

How is anyone edified when everyone prays sounding like a mass of people talking.

 

I don't mind someone quietly praying alongside me in church or during prayer time in Sunday School but for everyone to pray out loud is mass confusion to me! It actually interfers with my praying.

 

Acts 4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

We should be careful not to elevate our likes, dislikes, or experiences to a level of authority, whether for or against something of this nature. If one can make a scriptural argument that the practice somehow defies "let all things be done unto edification" or "let all things be done decently and in order", (and prove something like this is in mind) then we have somewhat to consider. But I would be personally loathe to condemn something that seems to have been practiced in the church at Jerusalem, with no scriptural condemnation. Though one might argue that we shouldn't take Acts 4:24 literally (see Matthew Henry, for example), the common and simple understanding of "they lifted up their voice" (φωνην) would be that it was the entire group and that it was audible.

 

I attend an "Old Time" Missionary Baptist Church in Missouri, where the practice of the congregation praying out loud together is practiced. It is voluntary; some pray out loud and some pray silently, as they feel the Spirit moves them at the time. I was not raised in this tradition, but I find it very moving, and never ditracting or confusing, even though I generally pray silently. I feel generally that when I am truly in a prayerful mood, nothing really distracts me very much. For me, if anything, it seems easier to pray with voices surrounding me than in total silence.

I have also witnessed this practice in some African American Baptist churches in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Southern Illinios. I agree with dh 1948 about the practice; I like it!

Zane

 

I agree with Diane here, and I do not use this method in our church.

 

I will tell you that although some people are intimidated by this practice (especially when they see it for the first time) it can be very moving. In our church we pray this way every service. It is always voluntary. Everyone that will gathers around the alter, men, women, children, whoever. The concert of voices all pleading before God can be very moving and draws people together. You don't feel like you are alone in your prayers.

Now I have been in churches where it becomes a competition with people trying to out pray one another in volume or length but that is not the case in our church. One man is always called on to lead the prayer. He usually prays a little louder than the others and when he says Amen everyone else wraps it up, otherwise we could go on for quite a while.

If you want to experience something real do this around someone with a real need. Have 10 or 12 people gather around them, lay hands on them, and pray aloud (we have always called it communal prayer but I am not sure where that term came from). Do this for your preacher some time. I will tell you this, when you are the subject of those prayers, and you hear 10 or 12 people pouring their hearts out to God on your behalf, it will touch your heart brother.

 

Let me clarify this. Are we talking about multiple people all praying aloud at the same time? If so, I have never been in a church that did this.

Our best prayer times have been (usuallly during evening services when the real Christians show up) the pastor will have someone start the prayer and others can pray, but they don't pray at once. Each takes a time, if they don't wish to pray, they pray silently. Then the pastor usually wraps it up by praying himself, when he feels the time is right. He will sometimes ask for a silent period so people can pray silently without being interrupted.

I can tell you one thing. I don't know exactly what method God wants us to pray, but he certainly listens to the prayers of those in my church. I could write a book on answered prayers, including those for me. Obviously, there are some good Christians out there that God is REALLY paying attention to. So many prayers have been answered the first thing people think to do when something goes wrong is to call the church and get added to the prayer list.

We also have a prayer chain that will send out requests for prayer to all the people who have signed up. If you call you next person and they aren't home, you call the next on your list until you get someone. It sprouts out like limbs of a tree, not just a single chain going around. This way the maximum number of people get the message to be praying.

I'm not saying multiple people praying aloud is wrong, I'm just giving my experiences.

 

My father's church is the only one I've ever attended that utilizes out-loud-concert prayer. It is also the church that everyone in the community calls with prayer requests. These people gather in prayer every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Wednesday evening....and every time anyone is in the hospital...or wherever the need arises.

Many pray out loud...others pray silently...no one seems to "compete" to be heard over the others. I have personally stood in the middle of them, receiving prayers for strength to help me through my husband's health crisis. I cannot describe the power and the peace I felt standing there in their midst. It is a custom that I had never seen, much less been right in the middle of...but I can tell you it DEFINITELY works for them.

I DO personally find it distracting...but I end up listening to the fervent prayers of a neighbor on the pew, and I am awed with the intensity and, often, strengthened by the simple faith they exhibit.

Their prayers DEFINITELY go WAY "past the ceiling"!

 

Jayohio1

When I have participated in similar prayer meetings we broke down into smaller groups and spoke prayers within the group. So, it was not an outloud competition.

I think making it out loud would make for a noisy environment at times.

God Bless,